By Marney Blom
Because of the escalation of violence and terror in the city, I prayed for God’s protection.
Little did I know, the next bus 78, the one directly behind us by about 15 mins, became exactly that – an easy target. An Arab gun man and a knife wielding terrorist, both in their early 20s, boarded the bus and opened fire and started stabbing passengers. When all was said and done, two were killed, four others wounded. I knew something serious was up when our bus stopped to make way for a motorcade of ambulances, police cars, and paramedics on motorcycles – all with sirens blaring – going in the direction from which we had just come.
About an hour later, while walking on Jaffa Road – the main street in the heart of the city – the police began yelling at all of us to get off of the street and move quickly behind a building. There was fear that another terrorist attack was pending. As I was with a Canadian friend, we both kicked into gear, not only praying for God’s protection for all, but that this latest terrorist threat would come to naught. The police finally gave us the “all clear” and we were allowed back on the street.
So far today, three have been murdered and dozens wounded in 5 attacks in various parts of central Israel. The nation is reeling as the escalation of violence does not appear to be abating.